


The Beauty and the Bat

by Fan_FictionGirl1



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons), Justice League - All Media Types
Genre: And I will probably tag more in the future, Angst, DC Animated Universe - Freeform, DCAU, F/M, Fluff, General Friendships - Freeform, I Ship It, I don't even know if all of those characters will be there, One Shot Collection, Ship, Shipping, The Justice League is Practically a Family, What's tagging?, Wonderbat, are in here too, oh well, oneshots, soft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:55:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29470557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fan_FictionGirl1/pseuds/Fan_FictionGirl1
Summary: A collection of one-shots full of Wonderbat content!(Has this title been done?)
Relationships: Batman/Wonder Woman, Clark Kent/Lois Lane, Diana (Wonder Woman)/Bruce Wayne, Shayera Hol/John Stewart
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21





	The Beauty and the Bat

Diana silently walked down the dark halls of the Watchtower, her hands comfortably behind her back, her left hand relaxingly holding onto her right wrist band. Her head was turned, her stunning blue eyes looking out the windows and into the vacuum of space and twinkling stars before her. A light smile was brushing across her untouched lips, an expression of calm enjoyment over her facial features. Her poise was elegant and relaxed as she strolled, an air of wonder about her as she watched the world below. She imagined it was dark where her apartment was; at least, her current one anyway. She could almost smell the night air, even though she was millions and millions of miles away. She hummed quietly to herself in thought, the smile growing on her face. She wondered if John and Hawkgirl were having a fun time down there, or if they were even still up this late.

She had last seen Lantern and her winged friend several hours ago. The League, at least, those who had shown that day, had been sitting up in the Watchtower a few hours, mostly relaxing and recovering from their latest skirmish. A band of extremists, with high tech weapons and mutated individuals, had been threatening Metropolis that day. The name of the group escaped Wonder Woman at the moment, as she really had never heard of them before. Luckily, Batman had known plenty, enough to even find some of their hidden whereabouts. The League considered themselves lucky that they had a small information advantage, especially since Superman had not been present. Diana found it a little funny; a serious threat in Metropolis, but Superman was on the other side of the world dealing with a volcanic eruption. It had been J'ohn, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and herself that had dealt with the threat physically, bringing them down and into custody in a matter of a few hours. Batman had stayed up in the Watchtower, guiding them through the commlinks.

Diana remembered the four of them, because of course Batman would not want to explicitly enjoy company at the time, enjoying themselves in one of their "lounge" areas after the battle was over. J'ohn and Hawkgirl had taken the hardest hits, and Lantern had been a little out of his game, due to his slow recovery from the explosion weeks earlier, but no one had been seriously injured. For the most part, they were all just a little tired, so they sat around the couches and recliners in a relaxed, restful way.. Things had been piling on top of one another lately and the League had been busy, working as a time and as individuals on the field. They had all spoken of work at first, but eventually the conversation smoothly flowed into a casual, friendly one, about how they were all doing and the like. Diana had enjoyed herself, and she knew the others had as well. She could still see J'ohn's calm, content smile as they chatted. Diana also remembered, with a small smirk, how close John and Hawkgirl had sat, their hands intertwining ever so often. 

"We'd better be off," Lantern had said in the end, taking Hawkgirl's hand again. J'ohn had since left, most likely to check on the monitors, and the other three were getting ready to depart. Hawkgirl had smiled up at him, a light color reaching her cheeks, though hidden well by her large, feathery mask. 

Diana recalled smiling at her friends, her head tilting to the side. "Plans for the night?" she asked, a hint of near mischievousness in her crystal voice.

Hawkgirl rolled her eyes, but her grin had grown broader. "Lantern thought it would be fun to take me to a light show," she informed her. Hawkgirl no longer held any intention of hiding information of their relationship from the team. It wasn't as if they spoke of it often; really, it was only if someone asked about it. The two had definitely been awkward about sharing at first; dating within the team had seemed so strange. Yet, the two could not keep it all to themselves for long, and it wasn't as if the rest of them had not seen it coming already. 

"You seem to like my light shows," John had teased, flashing his green ring a little bit. "Thought you might enjoy seeing other colors." He took her shoulder in his hand and pulled her closer to him, raising an eyebrow, almost challengingly. 

His girlfriend smirked and tapped his ring lightly. "I'm sure it won't be nearly as flashy," she spoke, her voice dropping to a more seductive tone. The two had stared into each other's eyes for several moments, until the Princess of Themiscyra had broken the silence.

"Sounds wonderful," she spoke with a smile, watching them with enjoyment. She remembered feeling the tiniest ping of jealousy, but it had subsided quickly. "Are you taking the Javelin?" Diana cast a quick glance at Hawkgirl's bandaged wing, silently reminding them of her injury. 

Hawkgirl shook her head, pulling herself away from Lantern, though she had still been smiling. "No, he intends to take me himself." She paused and looked over to Lantern again, smirking. "So maybe he should get the dock ready. I seem to remember a certain someone leaving several of the confined weapons in the bay. Wouldn't want to lose those."

At this, John jumped a little, blinking. Apparently, he had forgotten that, and with a relenting chuckle, he turned. "I suppose I should. See you in a minute," he told his lover. His ring's green aura surrounded his body and he began to float off the floor. He had zipped over and planted a quick kiss on her nose, quickly flying away with a wave before Hawkgirl could swat him. 

Diana remembered Hawkgirl's flustered chuckle. "He doesn't know when to quit," she had said, shaking her head and walking over to her friend's side. 

The princess had smiled, lightly bumping her with her shoulder. Hawkgirl was not so much the hugging type, but between the two ladies, they had other ways of showing sisterly affection for one another. "I do believe you enjoy it," she had teased, raising a brow with a calm smile. Before Hawkgirl could answer, Diana laughed a little and slid her hands behind her back again. "You two seem very happy."

Her friend snorted, shaking her head. Still, her smile had remained. She reached out with her uninjured wing and brushed Diana with it playfully. "We are. I.. never thought I would have this again," she had admitted, looking away for a moment. "It's been so long."

Diana was no expert on love. She had been raised on an island with women, and had never met a single man until she had left. Still, she felt like a wise contributor to her friends, and was always happy to provide them with whatever relationship encouragement she could provide. "Enjoy it. You two are made for one another."

Hawkgirl had laughed, shrugging. "This coming from the woman who never met a man up until a while ago." At this, the two of them had shared the laughter. Both of them knew Diana had no hard feelings about this, even as she was constantly learning more about men. When the giggling had died down, Hawkgirl leaned in and smirked mischievously. "But how about you? Your man coming around?"

Diana had merely smirked back. She knew exactly what Hawkgirl meant, and there was no point in denying it. Ever since her and John had gotten together, Hawkgirl had been a little more keen on picking up Diana and Bruce's little hints and games towards one another. The woman had turned into such a sisterly tease, silently cheering them on in the sidelines while encouraging Diana to make more moves. The princess was actually happy she had someone to confide in, even though as of lately, Diana had nothing to complain about. 

"Same as always," she had replied, standing straight and smiling. Diana chuckled as Hawkgirl opened her mouth to protest, raising her hand to stop her. "But I am enjoying myself as well. No need to concern yourself." Her eyes slid into a playful, half-lidded look. "I am content."

Her friend paused to blink at her, before snorting and shrugging her shoulders in defeat. "You two have a weird way of expressing feelings. But I suppose it would be hard for the both of you to have a normal relationship, wouldn't it?" She had not waited for Diana to reply, bumping her again with her wing and turning. "Better head out, before Lantern throws a pity party. See you soon, Diana," she had said good-naturedly, walking away calmly. 

Diana, now standing and watching the earth hours later, thought back to the memory fondly, recalling watching her friend until she was no longer in sight. Diana had remained at the Watchtower since then, keeping an eye on things, occasionally sharing a few words with J'ohn, who hardly ever left, and enjoying a few books. She had had no real desire to return to her apartment yet; the Watchtower felt more like a home than there, especially since her surrogate family was often here instead. She continued to walk by the windows for a few more minutes, gazing out into the stars, before turning with a smile and heading into an elevator. 

She knew it was well into the late hours of the night now. J'ohn was around somewhere, but considering how quiet it had been the last few hours, she had to assume he was either sleeping or spending time alone in his quarters here. She pressed a button in the elevator and stood silently as he began to go up. She could have simply flown to one of the higher decks, but she rather enjoyed the marvels of technology. Besides, he would hear her coming this way, which is exactly what she wanted.

Batman has not left the Watchtower since he had arrived there earlier that day. Normally, he would have been out on the field with them, especially since they had faced a rather serious threat. However, ever since Batman’s exposure to Ace’s mind attack a few weeks ago, the Caped Crusader was not quite back to full strength. While millions had been affected by the Playing Card girl, Bruce had taken one of the hardest hits from it. From what Diana had gotten out of him, Ace had attacked him more directly, and because of that, the effects were lasting much longer for him. He had been off of all duty for several days to recover, both his mind and body having taken a heavy toll from the brain torture. Even though Batman had since put the cowl back on and been working in Gotham since, he had frequent dizzy spells and even light hallucinations from time to time that made him vulnerable. As much as Batman hated to hold back, even he knew his limitations. If he had gone down there to fight, it was likely he would get in the way, even if he was recovering better the past few days. He had stuck to the Watchtower, helping from above, though Diana could imagine how much he itched time have been down there helping them.

Helping her.

Diana smiled to herself as the elevator doors opened. Batman just had that affect on her now; she could hardly think of himself without smiling. Yet, she had no desire to stop herself. Diana was unsure when the vigilante had become more than another strange man, a work colleague, to her. And she did not know the first thing about falling in love, or if what she was feeling was truly that. However, she could not help but keep it up. She quite enjoyed chasing after him, playing this game no matter how ridiculous it seemed to others. Diana knew Hawkgirl pitied her for that, and that her friend wished they would just admit what they were to one another. But the princess did not mind the state of their relationship in the least. In fact, she thought it was better this way. Diana herself felt she could never properly admit love, seeing as she was raised to stay away from men, and she could hardly have a “normal” life anyway. It worked for Bruce, too. His reputation with women proceeded him; perhaps, this game was the winning one, because it was so secret, so different.

Diana had been able to tell almost right away when she had turned into more than a work friend in Batman’s eyes. She would sometimes catch him staring with a studious expression, one he often carried, but with a hint of something else behind his eyes. Her heart felt giddy when he spoke to her outside of the field, because it was turning into such an often thing. His obvious growing infatuation with her was something she found herself craving in the smallest bites; it was sweet and wonderful, just the way it was. 

It was not as if there were times where she did not want more. What girl would not? Even one who knew hardly anything of love and men felt the desires to sometimes get more than a small taste of his affection. But surprisingly, there were times when Batman would fulfill those longing desires. Diana could sometimes still feel the light kiss he had brushed over her cheek one night on monitor duty. She remembered how they had gotten so physically close before, so often now it made her content. The hand holding on occasion, the one time he had tucked hair behind her ear after a messy battle. Diana didn’t think the two of them could ever officially settle down; neither of them were willing to give up the mission they placed themselves in. And it was not as if they were dating, though Diana could not help but imagine the occasional dinner. Their relationship was an unsaid ordeal, something neither of them would bluntly admit. But it was promising.

Wonder Woman walked into the monitor room, hands still relaxed behind her back. She strolled in with a small smile, a bright attitude about her. The room was dark; not a surprise, since he was so used to working in the dark. The screen’s were bright and buzzing about, no sound but a consistent humming coming from them. As Diana walked closer to the chair where Batman was seated, she realized that the sound of clicking keys was absent. Normally, the Dark Knight was typing away, fast as lightning, as he worked in firm, fast mode. This made her pause and frown lightly, raising a brow. Had he found something?

She stopped beside the chair and leaned forward a little, searching for the man clad in dark to see what was going on. She was almost pleasantly surprised to see him, chin resting on his intertwined hands, elbows leaning on the monitor. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was even and quiet. He was still, but Diana knew he was not asleep, most likely just very tired. If he had been asleep, she was sure she would hear the soft snores she had heard in the past. Her smile returned to her lips as she stood straight and tilted her head at him. He was a determined little man, wasn’t he?

“For someone who claims to be a part-timer, you are very persistent about your monitor duty,” she said, her voice soft but playful as she stepped forward. 

Batman did not start. Diana knew she should not be a little surprised by this. Even in his most likely tired state, she was sure he had heard her come in. His eyes opened after she spoke, his head tilting up just a little to look at her. “This coming from the woman who has stayed this late without it.” His voice was quiet, as there was a stillness in the room, and it was laced with sleepiness.

Diana's smile only grew. "The Watchtower feels more like home than my apartment in Metropolis. The city seems.. just a little to bright for my taste," she admitted, shrugging her shoulders a little bit. She turned to face him, leaning on the monitor and tilting her head. "And someone should stay to keep you company," the princess added, her eyes twinkling as she teased.

Batman's hands drew apart, and he leaned back into the chair, staring at her as he laid his arms across the armrests. "I prefer to work alone," he said bluntly, though there was a hint of something in his voice that made Diana doubt that. 

"Right," she replied, almost mockingly. She said nothing else, looking up at the monitor screens and taking in the information displayed. "Still researching our friends from today?" she asked without looking at him, noting the several familiar faces and the weapons they had apprehended today.

"They have more than one location, I'm sure," he surmised, leaning forward again and tapping the monitor a few times. The screens blinked and then a map was displayed, a several red dots scattered around locations. "These are the bases I have narrowed down so far. I have a few more to look at." He paused, and Diana could hear the hesitation in his voice before he spoke again. "They could very well be in Gotham."

At this, Wonder Woman turned to look at him again, frowning. "Bruce.." she began, using his name without hesitation. "We know you prefer to keep Gotham to yourself, but surely you aren't thinking of facing them alone." A worried expression wrinkled her brow a little as she studied the Dark Knight, taking in his slight slouch with concern.

"If they are truly in Gotham," he told her. He tapped away on the monitor again, making the map disappear and displaying the high tech weapons again. "But no need to worry over it. I'm well aware of how dangerous they are." Batman leaned back in the chair again for a moment, resting his cheek on his knuckles. "If I require assistance, I will contact you."

Diana smiled, knowing full well that was most likely the best she could get out of him. She was also a little pleased that he had made no fuss over her using his civilian name. He had certainly been caught off-guard when she first found out. He had been in denial right away, especially since she had merely figured it out on her own. She had almost laughed; she would have recognized him anywhere. When she had taken her hand and asked for a dance, right away she knew. It just felt so simple, so real and close. Since then, Bruce had actually become fairly comfortable with her using his real name when they were alone. Diana swore he almost enjoyed it when she called him that. This fact meant something special to her. 

The two of them remained there for a little while longer. Batman began to share what he had found over the past several hours, clicking away at the monitor and displaying everything. Diana listened seriously, occasionally adding in what she could, but she wasn't the detective. He did an excellent job of explaining things to her; she was grateful, too, as she was still a little new to man's world. Despite the fact that their conversation was merely business at the moment, she could not help but relish it. Whatever time she had with him, even if it was just work, made her happy.

Eventually, as the conversation slowed to an end, Batman leaned back in the chair again. He lifted his hand to his face to cover a small yawn, but Diana heard it nonetheless. While she had been studying a weapon design and report on the monitor screen before, now she turned to look at him. He suddenly looked so tired to her, and his head was tilted slightly to the left. Even as he stared at her in defiance, because he knew full well what she was thinking, he shoulders were so slumped and his face was beginning to turn rather pale. Wonder Woman smirked at the irony, raising a brow. 

"Must have been several long nights in Gotham to get a yawn out of the Dark Knight," she said, her voice low and gentle, yet pressing all the same. Now, while she knew that while he probably had had a few sleepless nights lately, she also knew that his mind still was not one hundred percent. He could very well be exhausted because of it, and she knew he needed to rest to heal. Seeing as he would probably resist, she pushed herself off the monitor and stood by the chair. "You should rest, Bruce," she told him with a smile, but her eyes were serious.

Batman just narrowed his eyes at her, before turning back to the monitor and resting his chin on his intertwined hands again. "I have more important things to do," he argued, avoiding her eyes as he studied another report on the screen. However, the mention of sleep must have made him more tired, because even behind the white lens, Diana could see his eyes glaze over. 

The princess frowned now, crossing her arms. She leaned forward and clicked away at few keys on the monitor. It was only when the monitor screens all clicked off that he looked at her, his lips twisting into a dark scowl. He did not need to open his mouth to protest; even in his tired state, his infamous bat-glare let her know that he strongly disagreed. Still, she did not relent, looking at him and putting a hand on her hip. Her eyes softened a little just looking at him, glaring while his whole body seemed to be begging for sleep. 

"Please, Bruce," she said simply, her voice barely above a whisper. It was not a command, though barely could be considered a plea. It was more of a push. She bent over a little bit, resting her hand on his slowly and giving it a small squeeze. "I admire you determination and strength to continue," she continued, watching as his eyes widened just slightly at how close she was getting, "but even you must know you can barely work like this." She did not say this to insult his pride, rather to get a point across. Batman was probably the smartest of them all. Diana knew he understood, but just did not want to comply. 

For a moment, there was silence. Diana was leaning in so close to his face, that if she just went a few more inches, her nose would be touching his. Her eyes stayed level with him as he watched her, seemingly weighing his options. Both of them knew that Diana could easily pull him away from the monitor, but they also both knew she would not do something like that. Batman remained silent, glancing down at the hand that she was holding for a moment with an unreadable expression. Though, Diana had a guess what he was thinking. Finally, after some time, he sighed and relented, his body drooping in defeat. 

Diana smiled kindly, knowing she had triumphed. He did not say anything to tell her that, but he did not need to. She stood up straight again, but did not let go of his hand, squeezing it again as she waited. Bruce frowned, eyes narrowing, but complied and slowly pushed himself out of the chair. Diana felt her heart pang a little at how he practically pushed himself out of his seat, his body barely complying. As he stood straight, he suddenly looked completely out of it. She saw his eyes slack a little before he stumbled, and reached up to catch his arms and hold him upright. Another dizzy spell, definitely brought on by exhaustion, among other things. For a moment, she said nothing, and neither did he. Batman held his eyes tightly shut as he tried to regain himself, but he was now gripping her arm as well, just to keep himself steady.

"You can't fly back to Gotham like this," Diana decided softly. The two of them were so close she could feel his labored breathing by her shoulder. She was not perterbed by this, or even mildly uncomfortable. The two of them had been very close to each other in the past, and over time, it felt almost natural. The two of them were perfectly fine with the way they held each other, and did not feel the need to say anything about it. It was theirs to have. 

Bruce said nothing, but after a moment she saw him shake his head. Whether he was protesting or agreeing with her, it did not matter. Diana knew he had his Batplane in the docking bay, but with his current condition, it would not be safe for him to fly. If he was having this symptom, others could follow. In her mind, the princess cursed Ace for hurting him so; both of them hated how long the affects were lasting. After a few more moments, Diana turned her head to speak lightly in his ear, holding him a little closer. 

"Rest in one of the lounge rooms for tonight," she whispered, her voice smooth and gentle. "It won't hurt." She felt him move to stand up straighter, and tightened her grip a bit in case he lost his balance again. He swayed a little, but managed to keep himself upright. That did not mean she would let go. She smiled kindly at him, chuckling a little. "And knowing you, you'll probably be up long before anyone checks in tomorrow."

Batman blinked at her, looking slightly dazed. Diana prayed he was not having a hallucination, tilting her head a little and eyeing him curiously to test. His eyes, though tired, followed her, and he seemed to slightly come back to his senses. His face returned to netruel, but for a moment, he looked unsure, and even a little awkward. Diana almost laughed, but she did not want to upset him. Still, she couldn't imagine him even walking straight in this condition. Diana turned her body so they were facing the same direction, putting on hand around his waist and the other at his chest. 

"Lean on me."

Diana was rewarded with an almost ghastly look of shock from Bruce. She bit back a smirk, knowing full well she had made him flustered, blurting something like that in this state. Then he scowled, and she swore she heard a bit of a grumble come from him. That was when she smirked a little; there was the Batman she knew and loved. Still, he complied, reluctantly leaning against her. He lifted his arm and gently hoisted it over her shoulders, turning away so not to look at her. The princess could see a bit of a blush rising underneath the cowl and nearly chuckled in triumph. 

The two of them began walking, Batman's steps slow and a little sluggish. Diana matched her pace with his, gently helping him along. It was worse than she had thought. Just how many sleepless nights had this man had? Now that they began moving, Bruce seemed to lag, his body heavy and head drooping from time to time. Exhaustion took over him and he leaned heavily on her. He was not heavy to her at all, but she could tell when he was putting almost all of his weight on her. She glanced up at him as they walked out of the monitor room and out into the open level of the Watchtower. This time, she did not head towards the elevator. Diana tightened her grip on the Caped Crusader and gently rose into the air, before floating downward to the lower levels. Batman hardly reacted as she flew slowly. His face, though tired, remained stern as they went down, though his body slacked a little bit as they reached the floor. Diana felt him lose his footing when they landed and held him closer.

"You alright?" she asked lightly, turning her head to look at him. 

Batman sighed a little, a strange and unfamiliar sound. "It appears you were.. correct," he muttered, his voice hushed and slightly miffed. "I can hardly function."

It was now Diana's turn to blink in surprise. Her lips parted slightly as she stared at him in disbelief, and he looked away again, a little flustered. Batman admitting he was wrong? It hardly seemed like him. This time, she could not help the laugh that escaped her. It was not loud or mocking at all. She laughed out of disbelief, but it still made her chest feel a little lighter. When she laughed, Bruce turned his head to look at her again, his eyes widening a little in his own surprise. It was not often the Princess of Themiscyra laughed, as she was a cheerful yet collected soul. He watched her almost curiously, his expression growing softer. She noted it, too, when she looked at him again. 

"You _really_ must not be feeling well," Diana chuckled, shaking her head and smiling brightly. "Come on, we're almost there."

Bruce did not answer, simply began to walk with her again. However, Diana could see the light smile that touched at his lips out of the corner of her eye. The two walked through one of the hallways, Diana turning to one of the lounge room doors. The sliding door hissed as it opened for them. Before them were a few couches and recliners, as well as a couple bookshelves. This was the largest of the lounge rooms, thus the one Diana was most used to, since the team were often here when they wanted to relax. She headed straight towards the sofa in the middle, which she thought was the most comfortable. 

Batman sighed silently again as Diana slid him onto it, leaning back into it. He reached up and began to rub his temples, his head drooping in tiredness. Diana saw his muscles relax and his body slack a little, which made her smile a little. She was glad he was relenting, as he really needed his rest. She stood, watching him for a moment, before noting how pale he looked. She wondered when he had last eaten or drank anything, then decided it was better not to ask. She already figured that it had been at least nearly the whole day. It would be better if she got him something to drink instead of asking if he wanted it. She leaned forward and placed her hand on his shoulder gently. He slowly looked up at her, and she coming in his eyes.

"I'll be right back," she told him, standing up again and turning. "Don't go anywhere," she added, a little jokingly. She heard him grunt as she exited, and chuckled a little herself. She walked through the halls again, once more glancing out the windows as she passed. She smiled in the direction of Gotham, hoping that Batman's friends at home wouldn't mind that he was not coming home that night. Perhaps she would ask Bruce to give her apologies when he returned home. While she had never met any of his friends from the city, she knew of them, for the most part. 

Diana slid into the kitchen, turning the lights on and heading to the cupboards. She opened it and pulled out a glass, turning to the sink to fill it up with water. She paused when she heard a gentle _knock knock_ behind her. She turned quickly and with a small frown, at first thinking Batman had followed her. Her mouth formed a small “oh” when she saw that it was actually J’ohn, placidly looking at her with a hint of curiosity. 

“Apologies if I startled you,” he said kindly as he entered, walking up behind her. 

Diana smiled. “Not at all,” she told him. She turned the faucet and water began to run into the sink. 

“I did not realize you were still in the Watchtower,” J’ohn said, his deep voice sounding slightly apologetic. “I would have remained with you for company had I known.”

The princess shook her head dismissively, her smile growing bigger. “It’s alright, J’ohn, I don’t mind. I thought you had gone to bed some hours ago.” She filled the glass with water and turned the sink off, turning to face her friend. 

The Martian grinned a little at her kindly. “I had. But then I heard noises in the Tower and surmised I should see what it was.” 

“Oh,” she said, feeling a little bad for waking him. “Sorry, J’ohn, I just.. did not feel like going back to my apartment tonight.” 

He shook his head, placing his hand on her shoulder. “It is alright. I understand that you prefer the Tower.” He smiled again, taking in the kitchen around him. “It is more home to me than Earth as well.” The two shared a smile, before the alien looked down at the glass of water in her hand. "May I ask what that is for?"

She glanced down at as well, then lifted it a little as she explained. "For Batman. He's been here all day. Our friend is resting in the lounge room right now." She glanced at the door, almost expecting him to walk through it and defy her, the way he usually did when he needed rest. 

J'ohn smiled a litte again, this time with a hint of cunning. "At your urging, I presume," he said. It was nto a question, rather an implication. It made Diana chuckle a little. 

"He's Batman, after all," she laughed lightly with a nod. However, her face grew more serious after a moment, her eyes glancing away dismally. "Although he did not put up as much of a fight as he normally would. He's exhausted himself, and after Ace's deliberate attack a few weeks ago, he hardly seems himself." She looked at the water in her hands again and held it a little tighter, feeling a bit upset. 

J'ohn, being a mind-reader, sensed her uneasiness. He squeezed her shoulder a little more to bring her attention back to him. "I sensed this as well. But he will be alright. He only needs time to rest and recover." His grin grew soft and assuring. 

Diana could not help but smile back at her friend. "Right." She reached forward and gave him a small and quick hug, feeling better. "Thank you," she added softly as she pulled away. "I had better get this to our patient." 

The Martian nodded and she waved a little as she left the kitchen, walking back towards the lounge room. Her smile did not leave her face as she heard J'ohn leave the kitchen as well, most likely heading back to his room. Diana had grown rather close to the man from mars over the past several months. She felt a certain kinship with him, and cared for him like family. She knew he suffered from the loss of his family, his whole world. It made her happy to see him growing close to everyone in the League, as he needed a new family to love him and care for. As she entered the lounge room again, she wished him a goodnight in her mind, which she knew he could hear.

Batman was still reclined on the sofa, much to Diana's relief. He was leaning against the side, his arm resting on the armrest and his eyes closed. For a moment, Diana wondered if he had dozed off, but then he looked up at her. His eyes blinked open slowly and a slow breath escaped him. He really was nearing sleep. His gaze turned to the glass in her hand as she went to him, and he looked up at her with a frown. She could see the raised brow under the cowl and smiled. 

"I got you something," she told him softly, slowly sitting down next to him and offering him the glass. "Hopefully it will help."

His face was skeptic, but he took it anyway. "Help what?" he asked before raising the cup to his lips and slowly swallowing the water. His voice had had another hint of rasp to it, mostly likely due to the fact he had almost been asleep. 

"Relax you," Diana answered, smiling brighter. She scooted a little closer to him, taking the glass from his hand when he finished. 

Batman had probably meant to reply, but all that came out of him was a small murmur that she could not quite make out. It made her feel a little better, seeing him giving into sleep. He leaned reached up and rubbed his temples again, and Diana wondered if he had a headache, or if his eyes were merely very tired. Perhaps it was both. Nevertheless, it worried her a little bit. As tired as he was, he still seemed to be having a little trouble. Or maybe he was still resisting it a little. Diana would not have that. 

She leaned closer, wrapping her arms around his that was beside her. "Go to sleep, Bruce," she said in a hushed tone, her voice smooth and gentle. Said man looked at her for a moment, before closing his eyes and leaning his head back on the recliner with a small moan. Diana smiled again with triumph, lightly rubbing her thumb up and down his arm. She hesitated for a moment, before giving in herself and leaning into him, resting her head on his shoulder. Bruce only stirred a little, but otherwise there was no reaction. Actually, after a moment, she could have sworn she felt him snuggling a little closer. 

Diana smiled, feeling both a relaxing calm in her as well as an excited chirp in her heart. It was not as if they had never held each other this close before. There had been times, in the past, when it was just them, that they had sat close together, or maybe held each other while standing at a monitor for a few moments, just to enjoy one another's closeness. They were rarer times, though, for a few different reasons. Batman would hardly ever do something like this in front of the League, at least, not for a long time, if it ever came to that. He was a little awkward about relationships, but since Diana was the same way, she was alright with it. It was also because that neither of them felt the need to do it a lot. They knew how they felt about each other. Neither of them would say it, and neither of them felt the need to. It was the same with this kind of close, physical affection. As much as Diana loved it, and she knew Bruce enjoyed it too, neither of them actively sought it often. Diana was from a land where men were hardly even spoken of; she felt no need for constant physical affection, as much as she melted when they did. And Bruce, well, he certainly was not a consistently affectionate man. His mission was almost always first, but even he could provide the loving care that they both wanted, when they wanted it. 

Their love for one another, their physical affection, their relationship. All of it was beautiful, secret, and theirs alone to share. While Diana knew some of the others knew of it, she felt no need to speak of it. They were something that was better left unsaid. 

Diana was brought out of her thoughts when she heard a soft, even sound coming from beside her. She looked up, feeling a little tired herself, to see what it was, though it clicked in her mind just before she saw it. Her lips curled up in a soft, lightly amused smile as she watched Bruce's sleeping face. His head leaned back on the recliner but was tilting slightly towards her, eyes closed and breathing even as he snored quickly. Whatever worry or anxiety was left in Diana's chest left when she saw him, glad he was finally getting the rest he needed. He seemed peaceful, too, which made her even more grateful. She silently thanked the gods as she smiled up at him, her chin on his shoulder. For a moment, she waited, before she pushed herself up a little and landed a soft kiss on his chin. He didn't stir, to her relief, as she snuggled up closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder again. She closed her eyes and let out a little contented sigh.

"Goodnight, Bruce," she whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this!! This is my first ever Wonderbat fic, and this oneshot turned out a lot longer than I thought!! I really love this ship and I hope this fic was into character, since these two are literally my favorites. Please don't be afraid to let me know what you think in the comments!!
> 
> (also, side note, this fic might explore some of the other friendships and bonds within the League, because they are all like one big family and I'm a sucker for it. :P)


End file.
